Foil remover



June 14, 1932. HOFFMAN 1,863,338

FOIL REMOVER Filed April 6, 1929 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 June 14, 1932. HOFFMAN 1,863,338

' FOIL REMOVER Filed April 6, 1929 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 June 14, 1932. A. F. HOFFMAN FOIL REMOVER Filed April 6, 1929 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 7 l ENTOR B I 4/ r Patented June 14, 1932 UNITED STATES ALBERT F. HOFFMAN, QF NEWARK, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR T HOFFMAN BEVERAGE 2 PATENT COMPANY, OF NEVIABK, NEW JERSEY, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY FOIL REMOVER Application filed April 6, 1929. Serial No. 353,033.

The invention relates to apparatus for removing foil from the necks of bottles, as for example, in conditioning bottles for re -use.-

The general object is to provide simple and {I "ffiGleIlt apparatus which is easily and quick- 1y operated to thoroughly remove foil from bottle necks, and which is practically automatic in operation, requiring only the proper positioning ofthe bottle, whereupon the re- 10 aoving operation is automaticallyefiected.

The characteristics and advantages of the invention are sufiiciently explained in connection with the following detail description of the accompanying drawings, which shows .15 me representative embodiment. After-con-' sidering this example, skilled persons will understand that many variations may be made without departing from the principles disclosed, and I contemplate the employment 20 f any structures that are properly within the scope of the appended claims.

In the drawings: I

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a machine embodying the invention in one form.

Fig. 2 is a top plan.- 7

Fig. 3 is an enlarged elevation of the clean-- ing or scraping mechanism proper, with some parts in section. v

Fig. 4 is a b ttom plan of the same.

Fig. 5is a sectionat 5-5, Fig. 3.

Fig. 6is an elevation of a modified scraper arrangement. r

Fig. 7 is a top plan thereof.

Fig. 8 is an elevation of another modified scraper arrangement. Y

Fig. 9 is a top plan thereof.

Fig. 10is a side elevation (with some parts in section) of a modification of the general machine structure or arrangement.

' Fig. 11 is a rear elevation of the same.

Fig. 12 is a sectional detail at 1212, Fig. 10

In the form shownin Figs. 1 to 5, the mahas a seat or bottlesupport 3 to approximate- 50 pulley 9, the pulley hub being located between chine includes a column 1 on-a base 2, which the adjacent faces of the bearings 6. At the sides of the columnguide pulleys 10 are pulley 9 to drive the .spindle. The belt may mounted onstub shafts 11, and a driving belt 12 runs overthe drive pulleys and around shaft 14 is mounted to slide in spindle 7 and; i

is connected to rotate with pulley'9 by a keyway 15 and a key 16. The shaft is reciprocated by a lever 18 fulcrumed "at 19 in lugs 20 at the top. of the column. The lever has a fork 21 engaging between flanges 22 at the upper end of the shaft, The other end of the lever is connected by a link 23 to a crank V 2a on a shaft 25 which rotates in a bearing,

26 at the rear of the column, At the other end of shaft 25 .is a pulley 27 driven by abelt' 28 from-any suitable driver such as a pulley on a counter shaft. If desired, the belt systems which drive pulleys 9 and 27 may be inter-connected; that is, there may be a single .belt operating both pulleys; otherwise, separate belts may be controlled as desired without regard to itsspeed of rotation.

A cutter head 30' is secured on the lower end of shaft .l l-as by taper pin 31. This head is designed to carry a plurality of cleaner or scraper arms and scrapers, four of theseelements being provided in the present embodiment. Head 30 therefore has four sets'of spaced lugs 32,-.and a cutter arm 33'is pivotally mountedv on a pin 34 between each pair of lugs.-- The lower end of each arm has a 1 slot 35 arranged at anangle to the axial'plane of the shaft, and a cutter- 36 is revolubly mounted in the slot on a pin 37. The cutters are in the form of discs with beveled periph- V eries 38 providing sharp cutting edges 39. lo

, cated at theforward edges of the discs in the direction. of rotation, as indicated by the arrow in Fig. 4. The arms are normally urged convergently by suitable spring means.

one such means consisting in the helical or,

coiled spring 40 arranged as a band encircling the arms. and located in grooves 41 in the outer faces of the arms. Convergent movement of the armsmay'be limited, as by engagement with faces 42 of the head between V the pivot lugs 32.

In operation the shaft is reciprocated, to

including all of the neck, such paths being in dicated in dotted lines at 45, Figs. 1 and 3, so

that by a scraping or milling action the foil is quickly and completely removed. Thereupon, the head is retracted, the bottle removed, another one positioned, and so on.

The spring action of the cutter arms permits the cutters to closely follow the contour of the bottle neck in an obvious way. It will also be noted that the scraping or cleaningaction takes place both on the downward and upward movement of the head, the course of the cutters in the upward movement being in spiral'paths inclined oppositely to the inclination of the dotted lines in the drawings.

Figs. 6 and 7 show a modification of the scraper arrangement, in which the discs 36, instead of being arranged to rotate in vertical planes, as in Figs. 1 to 4, are located in planes inclined substantially (as shown, at

an angle of about to both vertical and horizontal planes, and also so arranged that the plane of a disc is at right angles to a vertical plane through the tangent between the disc and the bottle. Figs. 8 and 9 illustrate a further modification, in which the disc planes are also at an angle to a vertical plane through the tangent between the disc and the bottle. Either of these arrangements enables arcuate sectors of the disc edges to more 'c'losely'conform to the diflerent portions'or contours of the bottle-neck, as clearly shown in Figs; 6 and 8.

Figs. '10 to 12 illustrate a modification of H the general organization of the machine, in

-= which the scraper head 30 is revoluble, but

fixed against vertical motion in an arm of J frame or column 51- 'and a bottle support 52, in which the base of the bottle is centered,-is arranged for vertical movement, along with its supporting plunger 53. The plunger reciprocatesin a guide hole in a framearm 54:, and in a sleeve 55 formed in the base 56. A lever 57 fulcrumed in the column at 58, has a rounded end'59 engaging in a slot in plunger 53, and has its other end connected by a link 60 to a crank 24 on a drive shaft 25, similar to the crank and shaftidentified byv the same numerals in Figs. 1 and 2. The bottle support 52 has an upright to which is secured means for bracing or centering an upward part of the bottle, near the lower end of the foil-covered zone of the neck. Such means is specifically, as shown, ablock 66 of sponge rubber, or similar material, to give a cushioning support to the bottle 6, and having a socket formation 67, open at the front, to properly receive and center the bottle, and by frictional engagement, to prevent or assist in preventing, rotation of the bottle.

The operation is, in result, generally equivalent to that of the first form, except of course in this case the traversing of the foiled neck of the bottle in relation to the scrapers, is effected by movement of the support 52. under control of crank 24,1ink 60 and lever 57.,

, I claim:

1. Scraping apparatus for purposes described, comprising a cleaner having annularly arranged scraping elements, means for moving the cleaner vertically, and means for concurrently rotating the cleaner, said elements being revoluble discs having beveled peripheries providing sharp scraping edges.

2. Scraping apparatus for purposes described, coinprising a cleaner having annularly. arranged scraping elements, means for movingv the cleaner vertically, means for concurrently rotating the cleaner,said elements i being revoluble discs mounted in planes angular to the rotation axis of the cleaner, and

means to. force said elements toward the axis 1 of rotation of thecleaner when said elements are in use p 3. Apparatus of the class described, comprising a column, a spindle mounted for ro tation thereon, means for rotating the spintherewith and also to reciprocate therein, means for" automatically reciprocating the shaft, a head on the shaft, spaced scraper arms pivoted in the head, a scraper carried by each arm, and means resiliently urging dle, a shaft connected in the spindle to rotate the arms convergently, the scrapers being Y discs revolubly mounted in the ends of the arms.

prising a column, a spindle mounted for rotation thereon, meansfor rotating the spindle, a shaft connected in the spindleto 'ro-' tate therewith and also to reciprocate therein, means for reciprocating the shaft, a head 011 the shaft, spaced scraperarrns pivoted in the head, a scraper carried by each arm, and means resiliently urging the arms converge-ntly, the scrapers bein discs revolubly mounted in the ends of t e arms, and rotatable in planes oblique to the shaft axis.

5. Apparatus of the classdescribed, comprising a column, a spindle mounted, for re 4. Apparatus of the classdescribed, com c.

tatioirthereon, means for'rotating the spin-' dle, ashaft connected in the spindle to rotate therewith and also to reciprocate therein, means for reciprocating the shaft, a head on the shaft, spaced scraper arms pivoted in the head, a scraper carriedby each arm, and means. resiliently urging the arms convergently, the means for reciprocating the shaft including. a lever fulcrumed on the column and connected to the shaft, and a crank for operating the lever.

6. Apparatus of the class described, comprising a column a Vertical spindle mounted for rotation thereon, means for rotating the spindle, a shaft connected in the spindle to rotate therewith and also to reciprocate therein, means for reciprocating the shaft, a head on the shaft, spaced dependent scraper arms pivoted in the head, a scraper carried by each arm and means resiliently nr 'in the arms conver 'ently the scra ers b b b 7 being circular sharpened discs revolubly mounted in the ends of the arms.

In testimony whereof I aifix my signature.

ALBERT F. HOFFMAN. 

